Weeder



Nov.A l1, 1958 R. H. MAcr-'ARLANE WEEDER Filed April 18. 1955 INVENTUR.

ROBERT H, MACFARLANE AT ORNEYS United States Patent() 2,859,679 WEEDER Rob-crt H. Macfarlane, Welland, Ontario, Canada, assignor to John Deere Plow Company (Limited), Welland, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Application April 18, 1955, Serial No. 502,088 Claims. (Cl. 97144.1)

- The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and more particularly to subsurface cultivators in the form of weeders of the type having fixed elongated blades that are drawn along the ground just under the surface thereof for the purpose of killing plant growth but leaving the stubble more or less undisturbed.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of a subsurface cultivator in the form of a weeder having a plurality of elongated blades flexibly carried on a supporting frame or other suitable means and so constructed and arranged as to follow the surface of the ground although the latter may be rolling or uneven. More specifically, it is a feature of this invention to provide a subsurface cultivator in the form of a blade weeder having a plurality of elongated blades supported for generally independent movement but arranged so that one end of each blade will be constrained to follow any generally up-and-down movement of the contiguous end of the adjacent blade. It is a further feature of this invention to providea weeder blade attachment for a wheeled support of the type having pivotally mounted, blade-receiving arms so constructed and arranged as to provide for up-and-down movement of the Weeder blades so as to permit the same to follow undulations in the ground surface. An additional feature is the provision of means cooperating with the associated blade-carried swingable arms for limiting the downward movement of the blades relative to the supporting frame.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view taken from the rear of a machine incorporating the principles of the present invention and in which a plurality of blade-weeder units forming a blade-weeder attachment are shown as connected with a support in the form of a wheel frame having means for individually receiving the ends of the several blades and accommodating their individual movement relative to the supporting frame Vso asv toV permit them to follow undulations in the ground surface. l

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the adjustable depthregulating means incorporated in thev blade weeder of the present invention.

Y The implement of the present invention is shown as incorporated in a weeder that comprises a supporting frame carried on a land wheel 11 and a pair of furrow wheels 12 and 13, and a plurality of weeder units 14. The supporting frame 10 comprises a supporting or frame member in the form of a generally diagonally arranged pipe 17, at one end of which is a front furrow wheel supporting bracket 18 to which the spindle 19 carrying the front furrow wheel 13 is connected for lateral or steering movement and also for generally vertical adjustment. At the other end of the frame member 17, there is a rear furrow wheel supporting bracket 21 that includes a pair of plate sections 22 to which an axle bar 23 is connected. The axle bar is disposed of the axle bar 23 receives a rear'wheel bracket 27 which ICC adjustably receives the spindle 28 of the rear furrow wheel 12, the bracket 27 being held in different positions of adjustment by a turnbuckle link 29 connected between the bar 23 and the bracket 27. By virtue of this adjustment, the amount of lead of the rear furrow wheel 12 may be varied, as desired, or as required by different soil conditions or other factors. The land wheel 11 is journaled for rotation on a spindle 32 that is carried in a land wheel bracket 33 for castering movement, the rear portion of the bracket 33 being xedly connected, as by an adjustable arm 34, with the frame pipe 17.

The supporting frame structure 10 is adapted to be connected with a propelling tractor by a draft structure 37 that comprises a generally foreandaft extending drawbar 38, to the forward end of which a steering arm 39 is pivoted. The lower portion of the latter is connected in any suitable way with a steering link 41 that extends rearwardly and laterally and is connected to a steering arm 42 that is fixed to the front furrow wheel spindle 19.

A plurality of pairs of implement-receiving arms Vare swingably connected with the frame 10. The forward or right-hand arm of each pair is indicated by the reference numeral 47, and the rear arm of each pair is indicated by the reference numeral 48. Each of these arms is the nature of a generally Z-shaped member having a forward or right-hand section 51 rockably mounted in a bearing sleeve section 52 that is xed in any suitable way to the lower side of the frame member 17. Each of the arms 47 and 48 also. includes a generally horizontally directed section 55 and a generally rearwardly directed section 56. Mounted on the forwardmost arm 47 is an arm extension 57 arranged generally vertical-ly and pivotally receiving the forward or right-hand end of the adjusting sleeve section 58 of an operating link 59. Mounted on each of the swingable arms 48 is a vertically extending arm section 61, each carrying a pivoted swivel 62 through which the rod memberV 59 extends'. The rod member 59 carries a set screw collar 63 immediately rearwardly, or to the left, of the associated swivel member 6 2, and on the other side of each of the swivels 62 is a compression spring 65, the forward or right-hand end of the latter bearing a set screw collar 66 that is adjustably xed to the operating rod 59. The forward or right-hand set screw collar 63 carries a pivot 69 that receives the rear or left end of a link 77, the forward endof which is connected to an arm 78 that is swingably mounted on a bracket 79 fixed to the pipe member 17. Also mounted on the bracket 79 is an operating member in the form of a screw crank 81 which is connected to swing the lever 78 in one direction or the other, thus acting through the link 77 to shift the operating rod 59 generally longitudinally of the frame member 17. The crank screw 81 also serves as means for adjustably holding the link 59 in any position of adjustment. The arm 61 on the intermediate arm member 48 is connected by a link 84 to a vertically extending arm section 85 that is Xed to the intermediate implement supporting arm 47, which lies immediately adjacent the arm 48 that carries the vertical arm extension 61 just mentioned. The link 84 and associated parts thus serve to cause the intermediate arms 47 and 48 to swing together.

A supporting frame structure of this character is disclosed and claimed in U. S. Patent 2,669,171, issued February 16, 1954, to W. H. Silver et al., being shown in said patent as a part of a disk tiller. According to the present invention, a frame structure of this kind is einployed as a -part of a blade weeder by mounting on the arms 47 and 48 a plurality of blade-weeder units 14, there being as many blade weeder units 14 as there are pairs of'arms 47 and 48. For the purpos'esof illustrating the principles of the present invention, only two pairs of Y.arms .and blade-weeder units are disclosed, .but .it Ais to be understood that more vthan two pairs of arms and two blade-weeder units maybe employed, if desired.

'Each blade-.weeder unit:comprises'an-elongated :weeder blade -91 .and a .standard 92 kfixed to .each end ofeach blade '.91. rlhelstandardsf9.2.extend generally evertically, and :the :upper .portion yof each is carried or is formed withabearing sleeveV section 93 that :rockably'receives the rearwardly .extending sections -56 of :the associated implement-receiving Yarms .47 .and '48. Each :bearing sleeve lsection carries a Aforwardextension 95 thatoverlies the intermediate portion yi5 of :the associated supportingarms .47 and .48. These extensions 95 cooperate with the arms to resist anytendency for the l'blade standards 92 to ,turn on'the Vassociated arms 47 and 48 and, in addition, thearms serve as depth regulating means. As will best be seen from .Fig. 2, each of the arms or extensions 95 carries a set yscrew y9.7 having :a .head 98 normally-.inrengagement withor adapted to engage the central portion 5 5 of the associated bail arm 48. The set screw97 is threaded Vinto a tapped opening in the extension 95, anda .jam nut 99 .fon :the upper portion of the set screw 97 acts to hold the latter in the desired position of adjustment. When the head 98 contacts the bail arm 48, itthusdetermines Vthe maximum depth at'which the blade 14 is Apermittedto reach. In operation,ffthe weeder'bladesor knives 91 are drawn throughxthegroundata.maximum depthof operation that is determined by the adjustmentof the set screws 97. The amount -of down .pressure exerted against the lbail arms 48 by the springs l65 ris determined by the adjustment oftheoperating or controlling rod member 59, the position of which is adjusted by the crank screw S1. The rear or left-hand end of the rearmost unit 14 may move upwardly, ias `when an obstruction or the like is encountered, by the yielding of the rear spring 65, and the adjacent ends of thetwoblades or knives 91-may also move up,'being constrained tomove together by the link 84, by

the yielding .of the 4forward spring y65 thereby tending more or less to follow surface irregularities while operating .at .generally uniform depth. The extensions 95 and theset screws 9.7 serve -the important purpose of substantially relieving the Ablades 14 of bending stresses that might otherwise occur lunder the influence of the force F (Fig. 1), acting rearwardly along the blades 14 by the soil pressure thereagainst in operation, if the standards `92 were permitted to rock about the axes de- Mfined bythe bail arm rear .portions 56. Thus, the con- -nections between the':blades 9.1 and the lower ends of -thestandards arerequired to-resistprincipally only sheer forces .and are .not :required .to resist any tendency for the standards :to turn.at.the .lower ends relative to the blades. -fBothorfallblade units .14 `may be raised into a `transport position `by turning the ,crank screw 81 in the directionvtoishiftthe .controlling rod.59 in a right-hand direction.

WhatIzhave shown and.described above, the preferred structure inwhichthe .principles of the present invention `have :been incorporated, itis to `be understood that my .invention isnot to be limited to the particular means, shownand described above,but.that, infact, widely dif- E'ferent means may be .employed inthe vpractice of the :broader laspects of my invention.

lWhat Iclaim, therefore, and desire to Vsecure by Letters Tatentis:

1. In an agricultural implement, the combination with `an elongated supporting member, a pair of generally lhorizontally'disposed arms pivoted to and extending gen- -erally longitudinally of said supporting member, each 'of said-arms having generally rearwardly extending por- 'tions, and means Vacting between Vvsaid member and said Varms to raise and lower the latter, of an elongated yground engaging weeder'blade extending generally ylongitudinally of said Asupporting member and disposed belowthe latter,

blade connecting means comprising a pair of generally ,vertical `standards ,fixed at .their rlower ends to said blade and each having at its upper portion a sleeve section rockably receiving the associated rearwardly extending arm portion, and a generally Yforwardly extending part on each sleeve section disposed-so as to engage an adjacent portion of the associated arm to limit the movement of said blade vin o ne direction.

2. In anagricultural implement, the combination with a wheeled-frame and apair of spaced apart arms swingably mounted on said frame .and disposed in a generally horizontal plane generally parallel with said frame, a pair of -generally :vertical standards journaled at their upper ends onthe outerends of `said arms, a weeder blade carried lby the lower ends of -said Ystandards extending generally 4forwardly .therefrom to a 4point over said generally horizontal arms, andextensions on .saidstandards extending generally forwardlytherefrom to a pointover said generally horizontal arms and engageable with :said arms tolimit the Lswingingof said blade.

`3. In .an agricultural implement, the combination with a1wheeled frame and apair of spaced apart arms-swingablynnounted on said frame and disposed in a generally horizontal plane generally parallel with said frame, .a pair `of generally vertical standards .journaled at their upper ends `on the outerends of said arms, a weeder blade-carriedby thelower ends of said standardspextensions on saidstandards engageable Awith said arms :to

l limit the swinging of Vsaid blade, and adjustable -abutments carriedon said extensionsand adapted to directly contact.adjacentportions of s aidfswingably mounted arms for limiting the depth ofoperationofsaid weeder blade. 4. In=an agricultural implement such as a weederof the .type including an ,elongated support and a pair of spaced apart arms rockablycarried thereby, each of said arms including a first portion extending generally transversely relative to the vertical plane of said support and a second portion lying in a plane parallel kto said vertical plane, the improvement comprising an elongated weeder blade, a generallyvertical standard fixed to keach end of said blade, a sleeve section carried by each standard, each sleeve section extending transversely relative to said plane and .receiving the associated rockable arm, and anabutment on each sleeve section extending generally laterally outwardly therefrom in a position toengage and serve as a stop to receive the associated second arm portion.

5. In an agricultural implement, the combination with an elongated supporting member normally c arried in a generally diagonal position relative to the direction of travel, a pair of generally horizontally disposed arms pivoted to and extending generally longitudinally of -said supporting member, each of said arms having generally rearwardly extending portions, and means acting between said member and said arms to raise and lower the latter, of an elongated ground engagingweeder blade extending generally longitudinally of said supporting member and disposed below the latter and generally parallel thereto, whereby soil ,pressure acting against the blade in operation subjects the latter to a displacing force directed generally along the blade, blade connecting means comprising a pair of Hgenerally vertical standards fixed at their lower ends to Vsaid blade and each having at its upper portion a sleeve section xed to thestandard and rockably receiving vthe associated rearwardly extending arm portion, and means connected rigidly with said sleeve sections to ,prevent rocking displacement thereof and thereby relieve the blade of binding stresses at the junc- 4tures between the blade and said standards.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 841,708 McClure Jan. 22, A1907l 1,251,324 Bateman Dec. 25, 1917 1,588,230 Howell June 8, l1926 v2,450,236 'Hoffman Sept 28, 1948 V2,669,171 Silver et a1. Feb. 16, v 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No '2,85%6'79 November ll, 1958 Robert II@ Macfarlane lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above 'numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should reed as corrected below.

Column 3, line 58 for "What" read While m; column A, lines l5s l and 1'7, strike out J'eXtending generally forwardly therefrom to a point yover said generally horizontal arms vSigned and sealed this 3rd day of February 1959o (SEAL) Attest:

"KAEL E. AAXLTNE RGBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patente 

